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VIDEO: Congressman Supports Aid to Ukraine but Doesn't Know What Crimea is

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by Space Worm
Tuesday, Jun 06, 2023 - 16:40

Published by The Grayzone

On Monday, Congressman Jamal Bowman (D-N.Y.) told The Grayzone that he continues to support the U.S. providing aid for the Ukraine war because Russian President Vladimir Putin is — as Bowman put it — “a madman.” The comments were immediately preceded by an admission from the congressman that he did not know what Crimea nor the Donbas were:

Readers of The Grayzone are likely familiar with the history of these Ukrainian regions, Southeastern Crimea being annexed by Russian forces in 2014 in response to the U.S.-backed ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the Eastern Donbas having been mired in a civil war for the subsequent 8 years under the administration that replaced him.

When told in a followup discussion that events within these regions played a critical role in stoking the invasion, Bowman expressed doubt. “That’s what you’re saying. I gotta dig in to see,” he said 15 months after the start of the invasion.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Rep. Bowman did clarify that he is “anti-war in general,” and that “[U.S.] foreign policy is crap, and we solve problems with war, and the Military Industrial Complex is mad powerful, and they control members of Congress.” When asked about the apparent contradiction with this worldview and his Ukraine war voting record, Bowman said he is “supporting [Ukraine’s] democracy in defending itself.”

On the issue of democracy and the will of the people, a 2014 poll conducted jointly by Gallup and the U.S. government found that 82.8% of Crimean residents preferred the rule of Moscow to Kyiv. As for the East, a 2021 poll revealed that 57.8% of those living in the Donbas supported autonomy for the region, as reported by the western-leaning Kyiv Post.

That said, Bowman’s nuanced perspective becomes clear when we look at the similar stance he took during last year’s budget resolution, where he lamented further military spending but signaled support for Ukraine. From a statement in March, 2022: 

“There were elements of the defense spending section that, if voted on separately, I would have supported, including additional military aid to Ukraine and funding for the Iron Dome — which I have already voted once before to fund and support. However, the defense and incarceration package is bloated with substantial increases to our military spending.”

Bowman also voted “no” on the recent debt ceiling bill put forth by House Republicans, in part because it “allows the military budget to continue to balloon.” Watch the longer exchange with the Congressman here:

The Ukrainian Disconnect in Congress

I want to say that I respect the congressman for taking time to engage with me on the issue and do not doubt that his convictions are held in good-faith. The fundamental flaw — which is endemic in Washington — lies in the complete lack of understanding of how the war began.

For decades, U.S. national security officials knew that Ukrainian civil conflicts were inexorably linked to Russia’s national security. In February of 2008, Biden’s current CIA Director and then-Ambassador to Russia William Burns sent a cable to Bush’s Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice with what turned out to be a prescient warning:

“Experts tell us that Russia is particularly worried that the strong divisions in Ukraine over NATO membership, with much of the ethnic-Russian community against membership, could lead to a major split, involving violence or at worst, civil war. In that eventuality, Russia would have to decide whether to intervene; a decision Russia does not want to have to face.”

This is, quite literally, exactly what happened. 

Note the assessment from Burns that Russia “does not want” to invade. One would be hard-pressed to find a figure more representative of the D.C. foreign policy establishment than William Burns, so it is clear that top officials knew the risks inherent to a Ukrainian NATO bid and that Putin — still president at that time — was not trying to reestablish the Soviet Union but in fact the opposite.

Conclusion

Considering the background: a U.S. sponsored coup, the undemocratic policy towards Crimea and the Donbass, and the stoking of a Ukrainian civil war… It becomes clear with even cursory overview that this war did not begin in February of 2022 because “Putin is a madman.”

Sadly, many in Congress do not know the history, and Congress authorizes the funds to Ukraine. So, the country continues to drift towards nuclear war for reasons the benefactors do not understand.

To his credit, Bowman said he does support a diplomatic solution to the war. I also spoke to Rep. Ilhan Omar last week, who said the recent drone strikes on Moscow could cause her to reconsider support for Ukraine:

Bowman belongs to the House subcommittees on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education and on Higher Education and Workforce Investment.

Contributor posts published on Zero Hedge do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Zero Hedge, and are not selected, edited or screened by Zero Hedge editors.
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